


Wisp of Red

by solarpillar (solarwind)



Series: Restoration Path [2]
Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Genre: Gen, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-17
Updated: 2014-10-27
Packaged: 2018-02-09 05:56:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1971456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarwind/pseuds/solarpillar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The angels are going mad. It's not like they were sane in the first place.<br/>(Sequel to Rest of their Life.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_The angels are going mad._

_It's not like they were sane in the first place._

  
\--

Gabriel is six year old. He has strange eyes, green with a hint of red. His parents thought he was ill, but doctors said he's fine. His eye sight is alright. Not too good, especially with how many hours on the Internet, but decent enough and not linked to the strange red at all. He looks ordinary, if cold and distant. His parents believe it's perfect. Psychologists tell them otherwise, but they don't believe a word. Gabriel is just smart and well-behaved, in their eyes.

Gabriel hates his name. He'd rather they call him anything else. Even Cain, he once said.

He tells others that, if anything, at least call him Naoya. He refuses to elaborate, and his parents believes it's because of the video games. Japanese things.

One day, a young man knocks at their door. A Japanese. Blue-eyed Japanese. Gabriel's parents have never saw such thing.

“Hi,” the blue-eyed Japanese says in excellent English, “I'm your new neighbour. Just dropping to say hi.”

“Hi,” the mom says, a bit confused. Then, “Oh, come in.”

“Oh no,” the Japanese says, politely, still in accent-less English, “I'm just saying hi. I haven't unpacked my stuff yet. Um, hi, your name now is...?”

He is talking to Gabriel.

“He's Gab-”

“Naoya. Or Cain, if you'd like. Hello again.”

The mother is rather displeased, but tries to stay polite in front of the guest. “He's a bit difficult. But I assume you, Gab is a great child.”

The stranger smiles shyly, and presents himself. “I'm Kazuya. Nice to meet you.”

They shake hands and everything's good.

“Come for supper,” the mother says, “my husband will be back, and you need to eat after all the travel...”

“Oh, I barely need to eat, don't worry about me, Mrs. Anderson. I'll be going now.”

And the new neighbour left.

Gabriel looks at his mother with an amused expression. “How'd you know he's a Japanese?”

“I used to be a Japanophile before I had you,” the mother says. “Isn't Japan a great place?”

“Yes, it is.” Gabriel says.

What Gabriel didn't say is _Because they made people step on christian icons and worshiped their own gods_.


	2. Chapter 2

It took a few days before Kazuya had a chance to talk to Naoya – now Gabriel – in private. He volunteered as babysitter, and though Naoya disliked such notion, it was an opportunity. 

The Cain reincarnated greets his brother. “Good to see you again.”

Kazuya sits down before his charge. “Same, and I'd laugh at your ironic new name if not for the situation we are in.” A smirk. “Very nice, annunciation and the bringer of the end. Fitting, if you ask me. The backstabbing part too, in a way.”

“Oh, is that upped corner of your lip crying, then?”

“Don't be so ungrateful. I did kill your god for you.”

“And now you are acting as my keeper, for added irony. Are you here to torment me?”

“I have been your keeper ever since you decided to eat only the bare necessity, brother. I come with a deal.”

Naoya raises an eyebrow and gestures him to continue. Kazuya has... changed. For better or worse, Naoya is interested. Pruning might be in order.

Kazuya begins. “I am a demon now, so I should deal according to rules of demons. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” Naoya could only hide a smile. A full demon can never be purified except in most special circumstances.

“For the restoration of my throne, I have declared war on heavens and killed god. Now, to clean up the current mess, I need another contract. Are we on the same page?”

Naoya hesitates. Kazuya did not mention the murder of Abel.

“Of course,” Kazuya adds, “if you are worrying about the Abel deal, you paid your price when you gave me a choice in the lockdown. It is counted separately from the help I have received so far, between the night I went to you, 6th of the lockdown, and the death of god. The latter counts as help for the restoration of the throne.”

Naoya nods, inviting him to continue.

“But all three worlds are now in need of restoration. The angels currently seek to revive their god and domain. The humans need freedom from the belligerent angels. The demons desire a netherworld rivaling the heavens in beautity, but richer and diverse.”

Naoya nods again, noting to himself that his brother has grown... or Marduk has awakened.

“So here is my offer: I shall eliminate the angels from the human world, and give the captured Silver City to you as a gift, along with the essence of Adam and Eve stored within. In turn, I will give you this.”

He manifests a triple crown from thin air, delicate and translucent, made of rainwater and flowers.

“You shall be my gardener for the netherworld. These are three names of Marduk as gods of fertility and abundance of plants, flows of water and shapes of lands, properties of earth and its riches. You are familiar with these things, so I'm not giving you something new as much as restoring you to your former glory, just as you have done for me.”

Naoya is certain that Marduk is the one speaking, but what of Abel? Is he still in there, alive and well?

“I refuse,” Gabriel-Naoya says instead, “I gave myself to Abel as eternal adviser in exchange of the war on heaven. Not only did I pay you thrice if we count that way, but eliminating the angels should have been part of the war on heavenly hosts.”

“Have I asked too much, then, brother?” The chuckle is very Abel, however, despite the tone alien to Cain's memory of the boy. “Then I need to give you another payment. Do you prefer a boon, or an offer?”

“Offer, but wait till I agree.”

“Of course. I can offer you a garden. Much like Eden, but better and bigger. You can rule as its god.”

“Boring.”

“How like you. I can offer you the revival of your wife. You loved her, didn't you? I will go to her current reincarnation and restore her memories, and take her back to you.”

“Let the dead rest, my king. That's a no.”

“I can offer you...” there is a smile like a sphinx speaking its riddle, “the hand of Abel in marriage. You will be my co-king. We shall rule the three worlds together.”

Naoya gives out an exaggerated yawn. “As if. Abel is already part of my family, no need for a marriage. Are you even trying?”

“Should I begin to threaten you?”

“No, but with that little creativity, how can you stay king?”

Kazuya sighs. “And this is why I need you. You are the one who inherited the spark.”

“Spark or not, you can do a little better.”

“Alright. Technically, you have given me a method to semi-permanently remove angels: the machine you had Atsuro build, with codes from a base of your writing. However, because you involved Atsuro in it, I would have to create a contract with both of you should I want to use it as a demon. As a human, I have worked with Shomokai in the last few years, hunting angels one by one, purifying them one by one...”

“...and now you need something more efficient.”

“Correct. Initially, we thought with god gone, angels will not be able to grow in number. However, they seem to have worked around it, thanks to you. They are now purifying humans in order to make new angels, like with Metatron, but they can no longer afford full gold and platinum armour mecha suit, you get my drift?”

“It seem that you have lifted my curse and kept me protected not out of kinship or affection, but as insurance.”

For a fraction of second, Kazuya looks hurt. The confident facade of Marduk slipped for that moment, and Naoya is certain that Kazuya at least is indeed still in there. Just need to confirm Abel.

Behind Kazuya, the shadow is normal. A human shadow. The King of Bel can control his powers. But he is still wearing the bands from Naoya, and the latter isn't sure if that is another insurance, sentimentality or the king is still not in full control.

“I see that you are looking at the sealing spells you gave me. Sentimentality is the first reason, I must admit.” Kazuya kisses the bands. “I have always loved your gifts.”

Gabriel-Naoya nods. Abel is there. But there are many minds within the body of Kazuya, and this cultivates fear and worry in the older brother's heart.

“I see fear in you, brother,” says the king, smile almost beatific, “but do not worry. I am not called the king of pandemonium for nothing, and my inner selves are not at war with each other. Kazuya is indeed the dominant personality, followed shortly by Abel and Marduk. You have nothing to fear for me.”

“...our role has switched, brother. Not bad.” Naoya cannot help but feeling proud. “One last offer, Kazuya.”

“First...” Kazuya resumes his confidence, the smile again that of a sphinx. “I would like to tell you a good news: the god that I have slain is still breaking into finer pieces in the void, its law unable to stand the overwhelming chaos.”

“And I take there is a bad news attached?”

“Yes. The surviving fragments, some become nameless, are building domains to isolate themselves from chaos, thus forming new worlds ruled by law.”

“Hardly a surprise.”

“Again, most of these worlds are not untainted by chaos, and a balancing if not struggling duality soon formed in them. Others have more than two dominant factions. Law and Chaos win by half-half, as expected. Most go through cycles, but some are stable.”

“Your point? That we launch a holy crusade to liberate them all?”

“Not so. I know that you care very little for them. However, I would like to offer a protective measure against outer attacks, in case some of them seek to extract vengeance, just like we had. For this world, and the ones were are about to build.”

“Continue. I am interested.”

“The bacteria in human body protects against pathogens by occupying space that otherwise would be taken by outsiders, correct?”

“Yes?”

“I would like to implement a new Law faction, one that would refuse the tyrannical Law that we had for so long, and it will take prevent the settlement of foreign Law by virtue of their nature's stubborn desire to preserve.”

“Refused.”

“Refusal refused. Hear me: you were the Chaos faction hero of this world. I have observed many worlds through my new gained powers, and I can guarantee that you are one of the best. Unlike others, you understand that too much is as damaging as not enough. You have learned to control your desires, and wish others would do the same. This last point is vital in success of our world. But how to teach others? If others do not learn this lesson, another Law god will be created, and we will be back to step one.”

“You are the Law god now.”

“Am I? But humans aren't all aware of my existence. Soon another will be made, and it will be the host for the revival of the old god, once the remaining angels swarm to it. Would you like that? You have but one more favour from me, and should this repeat, Law will win. Hear this: I will not need your help again, and should you create a need, I shall consider that a violation of my reign.”

Naoya was silent. The student has outgrown the master.

“Good.” Kazuya continued with a clap of hand. “Right now, the biggest pieces of god in this world are you and I.”

Naoya feels a familiar fear. “...are you asking for a fusion?”

“Of course not! I know how much you value your individuality. As someone with similar traits to Marduk, you could have sought the throne yourself. No. You wanted this irony and poetic justice, and you wanted to stay untained by other minds. Or perhaps, you do not wish to taint other minds?”

“Taint. How lawful.”

“Sorry. But no, I do not ask for a fusion. I merely ask for a co-king, of opposite alignment, in order to balance the Law-Chaos spectrum in a friendly way.”

“Not interested, but continue.”

“Excellent. Violent struggles come from xenophobic extremes. We, however, are not that extreme and are able to cooperate.”

“I see. A puppet nemesis.”

“No. An insurance nemesis.”

“Explain.”

“Should one of us cross the line, the other's job will be to put him back. We help each other stay sane, efficient and benevolent.”

“Or we can push the other over the line.”

“You would not want that.”

“No.”

“Then, should I consider my offer accepted?”

Naoya rubs his forehead. An extra load of job as so-called payment... The brother is still as lazy as ever. Even as a shepherd, Abel had trained sheep to take lead or stand watch, so he himself had less job to do. Logical, but lazy and easily victim to whims of others.

“Not yet.”

“I'll sweeten the deal then: I'll commission you to design the new angels.”

Even more work to do? Naoya isn't sure if this is the carrot or the stick anymore, or just his brother using carrot as stick. He is a workaholic, but not exactly because he enjoyed it.

“Still not yet.”

“You'll get personal massages from the king himself. I learned decent therapethic massage techniques with Yuzu during our trip to Switzerland.”

“You mean Sweden?”

“Nah, Switzerland. It's as good, I promise.”

“Are you roping me into something weird?”

“Yes and no. I'm going to cook for you too!”

“You always cooked for me anyway.”

“Yes, but this time I learned more in Vietnam.”

“Why Vietnam?”

“Yuzu wanted to try their soup. I'm also going to provide everything you need for the duration of your service as my co-king, and you for me.”

“Accepted. But you better pay for the commissions.”

“Deal then.”

“Now go make supper.”

“At your command, mastermind!”

The king is so cheerful that Naoya could not help but to smile.

But that name of Gabriel... Naoya wondered if he shouldn't have asked for a boon and used it for a full name change instead, both on papers and in everybody's memories.


End file.
